Liu, a writer and one-time professor, was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Christmas Day last year on subversion charges after co-authoring Charter 08, a bold petition calling for political reform in one-party Communist-ruled China.

He was named the peace prize winner in October, sparking fury in Beijing, which equated the Oslo-based Nobel committee's decision with encouraging crime. A ceremony in Liu's honour was held in the Norwegian capital on December 10.

The Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), an activist network based in Hong Kong, said it wanted to "take this opportunity to wish Liu Xiaobo a happy birthday and to once again call for his immediate and unconditional release".

The group recalled in a statement that Liu was spending his birthday at the remote Jinzhou prison in the northeastern province of Liaoning for the first time but had not been free to celebrate in the past two years.

In 2009, he was in a Beijing detention centre following his sentencing, and in 2008, he was under police surveillance outside the Chinese capital.

Rights groups have said that family visits to Liu at the prison have been suspended, despite the fact that a monthly visit is guaranteed under Chinese law.

Catherine Baber, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific deputy programme director, said both Liu and his wife, Liu Xia, who remains under house arrest in Beijing, should be freed.

"As the new year approaches, we would reiterate our call for his release and the release of his wife," Baber told AFP.

"His continued imprisonment calls into question the Chinese government's commitment to upholding international human rights standards and continuing legal reform."

When asked for a response to calls for Liu's release, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters: "China is a country under the rule of law. Competent authorities will work according to law.

"I believe Chinese judicial authorities will safeguard Chinese judicial sovereignty," Jiang said.

US President Barack Obama, last year's Nobel peace laureate, has led international calls for the release of Liu, who who was previously jailed for his involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy protests.

AFP's attempts to reach Liu Xia by telephone on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

CHRD said Liu Xia's phone and Internet connections remained blocked and called for all restrictions on her freedom to be lifted.

"There is absolutely no legal basis for any of the measures taken against her by Beijing officials," the group said.

"CHRD is concerned that Liu Xia may continue to face illegal house arrest for an extended period of time, and we reiterate our call for an immediate end to her persecution."

Liu's lawyer Shang Baojun told AFP that he too was unable to reach Liu Xia.

"I can't get hold of her. I contacted her family last week. She's still in her house in Beijing -- she's well, but there's no new news," Shang told AFP by telephone.

Amnesty's Baber noted: "Liu Xia is being punished for nothing more than being his wife."

Paris-based media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said China's treatment of Liu as a "dangerous criminal" was a "stain" on its international reputation.

"We hope that Liu Xiaobo can next year celebrate his 56th birthday in freedom and with his family," the group said in a statement to AFP.

earlier related report
China calls for 'concrete actions' from Vatican
Beijing (AFP) Dec 28, 2010 - China said Tuesday it hoped the Vatican would take "concrete actions" to heal a rift with Beijing, after the pope criticised curbs on religious freedom in the country during his Christmas Day message.

Pope Benedict XVI's comments at the weekend came amid tensions in relations between China and the Holy See, which does not recognise the country's state-sanctioned Catholic church and has diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

"We hope the Vatican side can acknowledge the fact of China's freedom of religion and the development of Catholicism, and create favourable conditions for the improvement of China-Vatican relations through concrete actions," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

On Christmas Day, the pontiff rapped Beijing for what he said were limitations on the millions of practising Catholics on the mainland.

"May the birth of the Saviour strengthen the spirit of faith, patience and courage of the faithful of the Church in mainland China, that they may not lose heart through the limitations imposed on their freedom of religion and conscience but, persevering in fidelity to Christ and his Church, may keep alive the flame of hope," he said.

"May the love of 'God-with-us' grant perseverance to all those Christian communities enduring discrimination and persecution, and inspire political and religious leaders to be committed to full respect for the religious freedom of all."

Last week, ahead of the pope's message, Beijing fired a broadside at the Vatican for its criticisms of the state-sanctioned church's activities, calling them "imprudent" and "dangerous".

The Vatican had said appointments of new leaders by the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which controls the state-backed church, had "unilaterally damaged the dialogue and climate of trust" with Beijing.

The Vatican and China have not had formal diplomatic ties since 1951, when the Holy See angered Mao Zedong's Communist government by recognising the Nationalist Chinese regime as the legitimate government of China.

The Nationalists fled to Taiwan after losing a civil war with the Communists in 1949. As such, the Vatican is one of the few states that recognises the island, which Beijing considers part of its own territory.

Last week, the pope appointed Hong Kong theologian Savio Hon Tai-Fai to a top post in the Church's missionary agency -- a move seen in the Vatican as a key for improving ties with Beijing.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News